


Side Effect

by Amity33



Category: Eroica Yori Ai o Komete | From Eroica with Love
Genre: Gay Sex, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:20:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21977134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amity33/pseuds/Amity33
Summary: The Major is in dire need of a helping hand, and we all know whose hand it's going to be...
Relationships: Klaus von dem Eberbach/Dorian Red Gloria
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22
Collections: From Eroica With Love - Groups Challenges





	1. Appetizer

It was a mission just like any other, thought Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach as he ascended the hotel’s staircase, his trench coat in hand. There was absolutely no reason for things to turn out like this, and yet…As he went up flight after flight of stairs, at a much slower pace than his usual swift and decisive military marching, he started recounting the events of the past few days in his head in a desperate attempt to figure out what had gone wrong, although that probably wouldn’t be of much help to him right now.

He and his alphabets had arrived in Florence a couple of days ago. Their mission was to discover the whereabouts and if possible to eradicate a new terrorist cell which had made its appearance a while ago, and apparently had the ambition of resurrecting the infamous Italian Red Brigades. Normally this would be the job of the Italian police Anti-terrorist branch, but apparently this group intended to get their hands on nuclear weaponry and they were trying to establish contacts in the nuclear weapons black market, which unfortunately was flourishing after the collapse of the Soviet Union. NATO Intelligence had more expertise in chasing down nuclear weapon dealers, so the Italian police requested their assistance; and since Iron Klaus was by far and wide the most experienced agent in that field, the mission was promptly handed to him.

However, he and his team suffered a great setback right from the start. Shortly after they had settled in a hotel which would serve as their base, the terrorists somehow found out about the Major and his agents being on their trail; and what’s more, they even discovered where they were stationed. And on their second night there, a little after the Major and his men had called it a day, the terrorists launched a surprise attack at them. Chaos ensued; fortunately the Major and the alphabets were staying in a separate wing of the hotel, so no civilians were involved; but amidst the confusion, some of the terrorists managed to sneak behind Klaus and knocked him out; and then they disappeared, taking him with them.

As expected, the kidnapping of their commanding officer threw the alphabets in total disarray. Without him, they had no idea what to do next. Agent A assumed command, but he didn’t have the first clue how to locate the Major or his kidnappers. In his desperation, he finally ordered the rest of the team to split in pairs of two and comb the whole city to find any possible lead about the terrorists. He wasn’t very optimistic they would get anywhere with this method, but he didn’t know what else to do and neither did anyone else of the team. Therefore the alphabets split in pairs and began their desperate search; and in the midst of it, who would agents A and B run into but Eroica and Bonham.

The Major paused for a bit as though considering something, then shook his head. No, Eroica turning up out of the blue during his missions could not be counted as extraordinary. It had happened so many times already over the years, that it had practically become the norm; in fact, he’d have been more surprised if he had completed a whole mission without running into him even once. This time too…In yet another of these impossible coincidences which constantly brought him on the Major’s path, Eroica was also in Florence for a couple of weeks now, preparing the ground for stealing a newly found Botticelli which was being exhibited in the Accademia Gallery. Because this theft required some expenses James would definitely not agree to, they had tricked him into starting another of his get-rich-quick schemes which had detained him in England; and Dorian had not taken anyone else of his staff with him except Bonham, so as not to arouse his accountant’s suspicions. He hadn’t taken much money with him either, but fortunately that was not a problem. The local mafia boss was a former subordinate and distant relative of Don Volovolonte’s, and had direct orders from him to provide Lord Gloria with anything he might require, whether in staff or resources. The local boss had, of course, bent over backwards to obey those orders; he had even procured a small but luxurious hotel exclusively for the Earl’s stay, after ‘convincing’ the owner to clear it out of all other guests. And thus Eroica was taking his time enjoying the Renaissance ambience of the city and planning out the theft with Bonham, when one day he and his faithful sidekick ran into agents A and B, during their frantic search for the Major. Agent A at first tried to conceal his commander’s kidnapping from Eroica, but of course the thief realized quickly enough that something very distressing was going on; and in very little time he had managed to make the two agents spill everything about the Major’s disappearance.

It goes without saying that upon hearing this news Eroica immediately leaped into action. Some nerve those barbaric terrorists had, taking HIS beloved Major captive! They might even do this and that to him while he was at their mercy, while he, Eroica, hadn’t even got to first base yet! It was intolerable! He would rescue the Major from their filthy hands, if he had to move heaven and earth to do it! Within the hour, he had the entire mafia organization of Florence mobilized; and as is usually the case, it was much easier for one criminal organization to dig up dirt on another. A few hours afterwards, one of the mafia informants contacted the boss and told him he had located the terrorists’ main hideout: it was an abandoned old villa in the outskirts of Florence, which had been uninhabited for years. As soon as Agent A was informed of its location, he rounded up the alphabets and headed there. Eroica of course insisted on going with them, and since he had been the one to provide the information about the terrorists, agent A found it impossible to dissuade him. And so it was that the thief, Bonham and the alphabets rushed to the Major’s rescue…only to find out that Iron Klaus was in no need of being rescued.

Indeed, those imbecilic amateurs did not even deserve the name of terrorists, the Major thought with a disgusted grimace as he went up one more flight of stairs. First they made a completely botched attempt to interrogate him – their intent was to learn the locations of nuclear weapons stashes from him, but their interrogation had been nothing short of pathetic; he had almost been tempted to give them pointers about interrogating, although of course that would not be in his best interest at the time. Then they threw him in a small storage room which served as cell, with just one guard outside while the rest of them went off to some other part of the house. And not only did they handcuff just his wrists, but to his surprise the Major discovered there was a small wooden stool inside his cell – in other words, a perfect weapon! It doesn’t get more stupid than that! All he had to do was feign sickness so as to lure the guard inside his cell, and barely a minute later he had rendered him unconscious, taken the handcuffs key from him (yes, the morons had actually left it with the guard) and freed himself, taking possession of his firearm as well. The guard was promptly gagged, tied up much more efficiently and thrown in the cell previously occupied by the Major, and then Klaus set out to neutralize the rest of the terrorists in the house. There weren’t many of them; apparently the greater part of the group had left the villa after his interrogation, and there were currently only five more terrorists there aside from his guard. With his expert skills he swiftly managed to isolate and knock out three of them; then he captured the remaining two and proceeded to show them how a _real_ interrogation was supposed to be conducted. His demonstration was cut short by the alphabets and Eroica who had come to his rescue, and as expected he was very displeased about it. After having appropriately reprimanded his agents for taking so long to locate that incompetent terrorist bunch and, most importantly, for having to rely on that pest of a thief to do so, and after having yelled to his satisfaction at said pest of a thief not to stick his Limey nose in his missions, Klaus began considering his next move. Judging by what he had seen so far, such a group of idiots would not be difficult to eradicate. However, there were others besides them; before his wannabe saviors had interrupted him, he had managed to find out that the group’s leader and some of the more prominent members had left Florence a few weeks ago to go on some ‘operation’. The two terrorists had not been made privy to the details of the operation, they only knew that it would mean a great deal for the ‘cause’; a sensible measure of precaution, given how particularly stupid they were, the Major thought privately. They did know, though, that the absent members would return the next day, and one of the terrorists was supposed to meet them near the Duomo, in order to use the hordes of tourists as a cover for the meeting. If the NATO agents managed to intercept them when they met, there was a good chance of bagging the entire organization, or at least crippling it by arresting the leaders. It was an opportunity they could not afford to miss.

Another interesting fact the Major had discovered before his interrogation was interrupted, was how the terrorists had been alerted to his arrival and how they had discovered his whereabouts so soon. It seemed they had a number of paid informants in town, one of which was none other than the manager of the very hotel they were stationed at. The Major was going to have a _very_ long and unpleasant conversation with whoever was responsible for running background checks about this incident, but right now he had a more imminent problem. After the manager was duly arrested, the Major and his team cleared out of the hotel; they could not keep using a place whose security had already been compromised as their base. Problem was, it was already almost evening by then and during the peak of the tourist season it was quite impossible to find safe lodgings for twenty-seven people on such short notice. Klaus of course wouldn’t have minded one bit sleeping outside, but his agents weren’t quite as tough and they probably wouldn’t be on their best form for hunting terrorists after spending an entire cold night outdoors, especially since they were already exhausted after running around town all day searching for him. Lord Gloria, always quick to catch on, realized the Major’s predicament and took the initiative to invite him and his men to spend the night at the hotel where he was staying, since it was completely vacant save for his suite and Bonham’s room. The Major was, naturally, loth to spend even one night under the same roof as Eroica, and even more loth to be indebted to him once again, but the success of the mission came first and foremost and he could not deprive his agents of the rest they badly needed at the moment. So after a few loud refusals, he caved in; but he set strict conditions. He and the alphabets would stay at an entirely different floor of the building than the Earl, as far apart from his quarters as possible; they would have no further communication after they checked in; and Eroica was absolutely prohibited from following them on the terrorist hunt the next day. Lord Gloria had readily agreed to his terms, although the Major very much doubted he would keep his word, especially regarding the part of following him; but he could not do much except set off very early the next morning and do his best to throw the thief off his trail. Therefore as soon as they checked in their quarters, he assembled his men, quickly went over their strategy for the next day and then ordered them to bed, so that they would be off by daybreak and hopefully long gone by the time Eroica woke up. He wasn’t all that hopeful he would see the last of that nuisance so easily (it had never worked out so well in any of their past encounters) but he had done all he could and, well, if the thief did show up he would at least have a valid excuse to vent his frustrations on him; he was usually the main cause of them anyway.

Yes, it was a mission just like any other, concluded the Major with an irritated sigh, nothing particularly unusual about it at all. Then why the hell was _he_ the one who was now going up the stairs to the Earl’s bedroom?


	2. Main Course

Dorian Red Gloria tore his eyes away from the window after several minutes of gazing at the city beneath his suite’s balcony. Night had fallen but the moon had come out, and the view of Florence under the moonlight was truly breathtaking. Sighing, he turned away from the enchanting sight and glanced at the full-length mirror on the wardrobe door opposite him. He was quite the breathtaking sight as well, dressed in nothing but a midnight blue silk robe which brought out his eyes and contrasted with his skin perfectly. The Earl of Gloria let out another sigh; it was such a beautiful, romantic night in a lovely city, and he looked ravishing as always. Too bad he would spend that night alone again.

Ah, his Major…once again, so captivating and at the same time so unapproachable. Eroica had hoped that this time, after having been gallantly rescued by him, the handsome German officer might make even a slight concession to the Earl’s relentless pursuit, if only out of gratitude. In the end, he could neither rescue him nor earn his gratitude; well, he _had_ provided him with a place to stay, but not even Dorian was optimistic enough to believe that Klaus would offer his body as compensation for a hotel room. Still, this adventure was not over yet, the thief thought with a slight smile, and now that he had met the Major again he would not let him get away so easily. He had promised not to follow him the next day, but it could not be helped if they ran into each other one more time…purely by accident, of course. Besides, he couldn’t possibly leave his beloved alone in the face of danger…even though his beloved was so very adamant (and vocal) about not letting Dorian share his perils with him, and not out of concern for Dorian’s safety. Still, what else could Dorian do but keep chasing him like he had done all these years, even though he never had much reason to hope that his efforts would ever bear fruit…

His train of thought was rudely interrupted by an abrupt knock on his door. As he hadn’t ordered any room service, the Earl assumed that it was Bonham knocking and he was surprised and somewhat concerned; what could be amiss with his faithful associate, that would bring him to rouse his master at such an hour? Bonham was usually very respectful of the Earl’s rest, so it had to be something urgent; without bothering to close up his robe, Dorian went over to the door asking, “Bonham? Is something the matter?”

“Open.” Nothing else was said, but that one word was enough for Dorian to recognize Klaus’ voice. Now he was considerably more surprised, astonished, in fact; for what reason would the Major possibly visit him at this time of night, especially after having taken such pains to avoid all possible contact with him? Well, whatever the reason, the Major coming to his room was an incredible, one-of-a-kind opportunity he could not possibly pass up. He opened the door whilst striking his most seductive pose and was met by the sight of the Major standing outside, stone-faced as usually. He held his trench coat in his hand, as though he was about to go outside; but his raven hair was slightly damp, as if he had just got out of the shower, Dorian noticed with some surprise. Not to be distracted in his efforts of seduction though, he gazed at the object of his desires through lowered eyelashes and said with his most enchanting smile, “What a pleasant surprise, Major…Are you going somewhere? You might want to dry your hair before stepping out, it’s still chilly outside at this time of year…”

“Are you alone?” was what he got instead of an answer, and his smile widened even more. “For you, my dear Major, always…” However, the man of his dreams wasn’t affected in the slightest by his suggestive words. Instead he shouldered past him, barged into the room and began searching very meticulously for anyone who might be hiding inside. He pulled back the bed covers, checked under the bed, in the wardrobe, on the balcony, he even pulled the bathtub curtain to check the bathtub, with Dorian watching him all the while; startled at first, then with increasing annoyance. Indeed and truly, that man was a natural at ruining a romantic mood. When finally the Major seemed satisfied that there was no one else in the room, the Earl looked at him icily and asked in his haughtiest tone, “Well, Major, now that you’ve made sure I am indeed alone, would you mind _explaining_ why you are depriving me of my beauty sleep?”

The Major was just as unaffected by Dorian’s sarcasm as he was by his seduction. “Before explaining anything,” he said curtly, “let me warn you: if you so much as repeat one word of what you’re about to hear, I shall find you wherever you may hide and make sure you die a very slow and painful death.”

Terrifying as those words were, especially when uttered by Iron Klaus, Eroica’s interest was quite piqued. Such excessive threatening could only mean that the Major was about to reveal a very juicy secret of his; and juicy secrets could always be used to one’s advantage, he knew that well. “Dear me, Major, you do make the most interesting conversation starters,” he remarked, the bewitching smile blossoming on his face once again. “You have my full attention, I’m sure.”

Klaus winced involuntarily; verdammt, this was even harder than he had originally thought! But he had no alternative and he knew it; so the sooner he got it over with, the sooner he would be able to get back to his mission with peace of mind. Through sheer power of will he forced his jaws to unclench and started talking.

“While I was prisoner…something happened I did not tell my men about,” he started saying with evident difficulty. “Those idiot terrorists interrogated me…they wanted me to tell them how to get their hands on nuclear warheads. Naturally, I would not disclose anything of the kind…so, at some point one of them gave me a shot of what was supposed to be home-made truth serum.”

“Ooh,” the thief said with glowing eyes; this was getting more interesting by the second. “And…what? You ended up spilling some big NATO secret? Or maybe…something personal?”

“Of course not, you idiot,” snapped the Major. “Whoever mixed this thing up obviously had no idea about drugs; I didn’t even feel _inclined_ to spill anything.” He paused awkwardly for several seconds. “In fact, at first it had no effect whatsoever on me, so I thought nothing of it…but after a few hours…it did have a certain…side effect.”

“Side effect?” Eroica asked, raising his eyebrows curiously. Without a word, the Major moved the trench coat he still held in front of him to the side…and revealed a raging erection which threatened to rip through his pants. Dorian’s jaw dropped, and his beautiful blue eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

“Shortly after I dismissed my men and went to bed…it became like this,” Klaus said, with the faintest blush appearing on his pale cheeks. “I’ve already done five hundred push-ups and taken three cold showers, but as you can see…”

“Oh, I can _see_ all right,” Eroica practically purred, his eyes literally glued on the Major’s lower half. Such a wondrous sight he had never dared to hope he would ever set eyes on, and it took every last shred of his composure to keep himself from actually drooling. Several moments passed before he finally remembered that, what to him was a feast for the eyes, was probably a most distressing situation for the Major, and that it would be common courtesy to at least offer the man some advice about his predicament, if only for appearances’ sake. “What about…?” he suggested, at the same time making the internationally known gesture for masturbation.

“Already tried it, twice,” Klaus replied, the blush on his cheeks becoming a bit more prominent. “But for some reason…it was less sensitive than usually…and I couldn’t get to…”

“Come?” the Earl helpfully finished the sentence for him. The Major nodded curtly, his agitation by now going through the roof; really, this was a lot more embarrassing than he had pictured it in his mind when he made the painful decision to enlist Eroica’s assistance. But there was no going back now and he was already mortified enough, so he might as well gain something in return for this humiliation.

“Since I have no idea what was in the injection...I have no way of knowing how long this…effect will last,” he went on to say, rallying up his determination. “And I cannot possibly continue my mission in this state, but of course nor can I abandon it. So…”

“So you came to me,” the thief whispered, with a positively predatory glint in his eyes (still trained between the Major’s legs). “How very thoughtful of you, Major…”

“It’s – it’s not personal, you hear me?!” Klaus burst out, utilizing the only method he knew to get past his embarrassment – an outburst of anger. “I could jump anything that moves right now, so it might as well be someone who wouldn’t mind it! And – and you’re supposed to be an expert at this kind of thing! I can’t afford another failure!”

The purpose of the Major’s visit had finally become clear, and it surpassed even Dorian’s wildest dreams. Nevertheless, the Earl deliberated for a few moments, the cogs of his mind turning furiously. Assuredly, he would have preferred it if the Major had come to him out of love, not under the influence of some strange drug. But at least he _had_ come, all on his own, and in full possession of his faculties – as far as Dorian could tell, he did not seem irrational or inebriated. And, who knew? Perhaps, once having tasted the pleasures Dorian had to offer, Klaus might reconsider refusing them so stubbornly. And even in the worst case scenario where their relationship would remain as it was, he would at least have this night with his beloved to remember and cherish. No matter the outcome, he had nothing to lose.

“Let me make one thing very clear,” he said in his most businesslike tone, the one he usually reserved for negotiating with James. “This was your own idea, and a decision you made of your own free will. If you change your mind about this we can stop at any time, but no matter what happens I won’t have you accusing me of rape afterwards.”

Normally the Major would not tolerate having his honour doubted in such a fashion but in this case he could not dismiss Lord Gloria’s concerns, seeing as he had accused him of attempted molestation in far more innocuous situations than this one. “Agreed,” he said through gritted teeth, “but let me also make very clear that the only reason I’m doing this is to be able to continue my mission. Do not presume that there are any of those sappy feelings you love so much behind my decision. I am only making use of your expertise.”

“Well,” Eroica said, his enthusiasm not being dampened in the slightest by the Major’s discouraging words, “as prosaic as this sounds, now that we have an agreement I’d be delighted to help you with your not-so-little problem, Major…” He glanced towards the door to make sure it was securely closed (he did not intend to have this god-sent situation interrupted by anything short of the hotel being blown to smithereens) and, edging closer to the object of his desires he went on, “Now then…why don’t we start by getting these clothes out of the way…”

The Major unconsciously took a step back and defensively drew his suit jacket more tightly around his body. “Huh? Why do I need to take my clothes off?! Can’t you…just use your hand or something real quick, and…?”

The Earl sighed patiently. “Major, you have already tried that and failed despite knowing your body better than anyone else…therefore, it stands to reason that I wouldn’t be any more successful if I were to use the same method. We obviously have to try something more…out of the ordinary to achieve the desired result.”

“Uh, I don’t know…” “Now now, no second-guessing the expert, Major,” Dorian hastened to insist before Klaus had the chance to rethink his decision. “But I do realize you will be uncomfortable if you’re the only one in the nude, so I will undress as well – that way you will feel more at ease, I’m sure.”

Klaus wasn’t nearly as sure that seeing Dorian naked would make him feel at ease; if prior experience was any indication, it would be the opposite. That time in Alexandria, when that degenerate airhead managed to get himself drunk and then got into his head to compete with the oriental dancer, what Klaus had felt could only be described as ‘extremely unsettling’ – mostly because he had no idea how to react to this spectacle and he found that deeply irritating. When the thief had passed out on him, half-naked and defenseless, he was exasperated beyond words because for the first time in his life the appropriate way to deal with this situation was not clear to him; his first impulse was to sock that pervert a good one for exposing himself so carelessly, but seeing him so open and vulnerable…he just couldn’t do it. What’s more, he wasn’t even clear about what he felt upon seeing him like this; because amidst the normal, healthy desire to beat him senseless he could discern an impulse to do other things, and those things definitely weren’t healthy and normal, no, they were...unspeakable. He was almost grateful that Mischa the Cub happened to be there at the time, because thanks to his presence he’d been able to stay focused on the mission and not get...sidetracked. It would be far more difficult to avoid getting sidetracked this time, he feared, no matter how intently he tried to concentrate his thoughts on the mission awaiting the next day. Even now, when he had no reason to follow Dorian with his eyes as he gracefully and sensually peeled the robe off his body, he just couldn’t bring himself to look away...not even when the Earl proceeded to remove the matching blue silk briefs he wore under the robe, thus revealing a most impressive (considering it wasn’t the aftereffect of drugs) erection. Even then, he could not help but keep looking...

Dorian of course noticed where the Major’s eyes were directed, and smiled with satisfaction. _Oh yes, take a good long look, Major,_ he thought privately. _See for yourself how I become every time I think of you..._ He decided to keep his thoughts to himself though; if he riled the Major up too much he might storm out in anger, and such a perfect opportunity would be lost for good. However, he did make the most of stripping those few articles of clothing he was wearing as suggestively as possible –and he could do that _a lot_ more suggestively than most people – and after giving the Major ample opportunity to admire his divine figure he smiled sweetly and said, “Now then, Major...time to give a little tit for tat, don’t you think?”

Klaus gulped awkwardly and his palms sweated as he realized he could no longer postpone the inevitable. He always had a deep aversion of being seen without clothes, and being seen by Eroica of all people certainly did not make things better. In a desperate attempt to avoid the thief’s lecherous gaze he turned his back at him and began taking his suit off as quickly and businesslike as he could – if he could not avoid exposing himself, he could at least shatter any romantic illusions that pervert might have. Still, merely feeling Eroica’s eyes trained on him, and especially on his buttocks – he didn’t know why, but somehow he was sure _that’s_ where the thief was looking – made him feel more uncomfortable than any KGB torture chamber could have. _It’s for the mission,_ he told himself again and again to steel his nerves enough to keep going. Even so, when he was done removing his clothes, he had no idea where he found the courage to turn around and face the thief again. However, he managed to overcome his discomfort quickly enough, thanks to the thief’s exaggerated and rather unexpected reaction. The moment Dorian finally got to see all of him properly, he immediately brought both hands to his mouth and exclaimed in a decidedly injured tone, “Oh Major! How could you!”

“Huh?! What did I do now?” Klaus asked, bewildered; he hadn’t even hit the man once (yet) for Christ’s sake! Dorian, however, was looking at him like he had been seriously wronged; he put one hand at his waist and used the other to point at him while he said in ardent protest,

“How could you keep this beauty – this magnificence – this masculine perfection away from me! Such a wonder is a crime to be hidden away! It ought to be worshipped, revered, glorified in poetry and art, it should...”

“Eroica, have you taken leave of your senses?! I did not humiliate myself to this extent to hear you blabbering perverted nonsense! Now quit gawking at my thing like it’s the fucking Sistine Chapel and – and get down to business!”

This order made Eroica instantly forget the injustice of being denied access to the Major’s privates – until then, getting such an order had been no more than a pipe dream for him. “But of course, my dear Major, it’ll be all business from now on,” he purred. “Now, if you would be so kind as to sit on the bed, so I can…ah, assess the situation…”

Still eyeing him warily, Klaus sat gingerly on the very edge of the bed, trying hard to restrain himself from bolting out, as that would be rather inconvenient in his current state of undress. Even so, it was hardly less inconvenient to see Eroica kneeling down and lithely insinuating himself between the Major’s legs, especially with that greedy look on the thief’s face. It took all his willpower to remain still while Dorian edged closer to the greatest desire of his life.

“How absolutely wonderful…” he murmured ecstatically, his face inches away from the intangible dream that was finally – and so very unexpectedly – within his reach. And so far, it certainly wasn’t falling short of expectations; the drug’s influence notwithstanding, the Major seemed to have all the requirements to satisfy him in the sack and then some. Which made it more imperative than ever to increase his willingness to do so, concluded Dorian, and without further ado he immediately took him in his mouth.

Lord Gloria was justly proud of the fact that he gave one of the best heads in the entire United Kingdom and all its former colonies; and he spared no trick of the trade in order to give the Major the most supreme pleasure possible. For the next several minutes he devoted himself to this task with an almost religious dedication, coupled with a most professional attention to detail. He used his tongue and mouth with more skill and enthusiasm than ever before; so much, in fact, that he feared he might be too adroit for his own good. At this rate, the Major would reach his climax any moment now and this unbelievable night would end all too soon.

However, several minutes passed and there was still no sign of that happening. Although far from displeased to have this unprecedented intimacy with the Major prolonged, Dorian was somewhat miffed that his expert techniques were being met with such a lack of response. Iron Klaus was truly living up to his name; it might be the drug, his self-discipline or both, but he showed none of the telltale signs of an imminent orgasm. His erection had not diminished in the slightest, which was a bit of a reassurance, but besides that…nothing. In all his years, Dorian had never taken this long to bring a lover to completion with his mouth before; in fact, most of his lovers had required less than half this time to reach their peak. It was therefore safe to assume that something wasn’t quite right here, and thus without pausing in his efforts Dorian looked up at the Major’s face in an attempt to discover what was wrong.

He was immediately struck by the expression on Klaus’ face; it was one he had never seen before or even expected to ever see during lovemaking. The Major’s eyes were tightly closed, his lips pressed together into a thin line, his face stiff as though it was carved in stone; he sat completely rigid on the edge of the bed, his hands balled into clenched fists at his sides. Rather than feeling pleasure, he seemed to be…suffering; or rather, as Dorian suddenly realized, he seemed to be trying his utmost not to feel anything. The Earl sighed inwardly as he finally understood what was going on; behind the expressionless mask, there was an actual war waging inside the Major’s body right now. On one hand he was trying to force himself to climax, because that was what he had to do; on the other, he could not let himself unwind enough to do so. He couldn’t, or perhaps wouldn’t, allow himself to feel the pleasure and let it take control over his body and this, Dorian knew, made his assigned task a hell of a lot more challenging than he had first thought. The thief had every confidence in his skills, but he had learned long ago not to underestimate the Major’s formidable self-restraint. He had to find a way to get past it, or half the city of Florence would probably get an eyeful of the Major’s boner tomorrow. Dorian sighed discreetly again as the full enormity – no pun intended – of the problem at hand dawned on him: this wasn’t just a question of the Major getting aroused enough for an orgasm to occur. In order to succeed, he would have to make him feel…relaxed, safe; and that was going to be _extremely_ difficult, if at all possible. Klaus had never put much trust in him, and during his missions he was more edgy and distrustful than ever. Getting him to lower his defenses enough would probably be trickier than cracking even the most sophisticated safe. Nevertheless, Dorian had never been one to shy away from a challenge; and, for all his trepidation, he could not help feeling excited as he embarked on what was likely the break-in of a lifetime.

Sighing softly again he carefully removed his mouth from the Major’s engorged member (not without some regret) and said gently, “Major, I don’t think this is going to work.”

The Major’s eyes instantly snapped open and Dorian could not help flinching under his fierce glare. _“What?!_ You put me through all this… _indignity_ under the pretext of helping me out, and now you’re quitting just like that?”

“I never said I was quitting,” the thief said as calmly as he could, “but there are some facts to be faced and I would be doing you a disservice if I were to overlook them. And the fact is, Major, that however well the ‘close your eyes and think of Germany’ attitude may have served you in the past, it’s not helping you at all right now. You have to understand, you are in fact sabotaging yourself at the moment. I don’t know if it’s because of the mission or just your general paranoia, but the reason you can’t, pardon my language, get off, is because _you_ are actively fighting against it. Unless we find a way around that, I very much fear that even if I do this all night you’ll be still in the same state tomorrow morning and you will have to chase down your terrorists the way you are now.”

“Nein! This is unacceptable!” the Major burst out, then he stared hard at him again. “You _do_ have something in mind, don’t you? What must I do?”

“For one thing, stop pressuring yourself,” said the Earl, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. “This is not a race; we have quite a few hours at our disposal, and I assure you I will never let it be said that I failed to satisfy my one true love. We will take our time and get you in the right disposition first, and then we’ll try again. Lie face down on the bed, will you?”

Klaus did not seem completely convinced by his speech, but he did obey without objections, which went to show how desperate he was at the moment, Dorian thought. He kept watching the thief’s movements warily, however, a clear sign that his guard wasn’t anywhere near down just yet. The Earl decided to overlook his defensiveness, since it was only to be expected, and let him make himself comfortable – as much as that was possible, anyway – while he went over to the ornate dresser and rummaged for something in his cosmetics bag. The Major saw him return to the bed with a small bottle in hand; his eyes widened in horror and he recoiled out of reach, more skittish than ever. “What is this? Now listen here, I would concede to a lot of things for the sake of my mission, but I never agreed to get pen – ” 

“It’s _massage_ oil, darling,” Lord Gloria interrupted him patiently, “I’m going to give you a massage. And to put your mind at ease, no, I have no intention of doing what you insinuated just now. Penetration is enjoyable only when you are completely at ease and trust your partner unconditionally, and sadly you are nowhere near that state as yet. To be honest, I don’t know if you’re ever going to be, but one lives in hope, I suppose. In any case, you may rest assured that for tonight at least, the virginity of your posterior is quite safe from me; so just this once could you please allow yourself to become a bit…less wound up?”

Klaus did not appear all that convinced by his assurances, but at least he lay down again and sank his face in the pillow, meaning he was probably going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now, the Earl thought. He wished he could see his expression – without it he would have a much harder time assessing whether his strategy was working – but he decided not to rush things and just do the best he could to make him relax. He poured some oil in his hands and started massaging the Major’s broad back and shoulders; to be sure, feeling all those wonderful muscles under his hands was more than a little distracting, not to mention quite a booster of his own desire, but for once he restrained himself into touching the Major in a completely non-sexual way for the time being. He figured that if Klaus saw he was actually capable of keeping his hands to himself and his mind out of the gutter, he just might let his guard down a little. Even now, his muscles were becoming a tad less tense, the thief noted with some surprise, although of course he was still far from relaxed. Perhaps a bit of small talk might help speed things along, he reckoned, and so after several minutes of silence he said lightly, “Well, Major, not that you’ll ever admit it, but your body at least seems to be quite impressed with my superior massaging technique.”

Klaus snorted, as usually loth to give the Earl even the slightest praise. “Hmph, I’m invariably impressed by how full of yourself you are,” he said derisively. “But I’ll admit I didn’t expect you to know anything about massage; I always thought that pampered noblemen like you always had valets and the like for these things.” In spite of being an aristocrat himself, the Major as long as he could remember never had any servants seeing to his personal needs, because his father was of the opinion that a real man and a future soldier no less should always be self-sufficient and never depend on others to do things for him.

Dorian laughed and said, “Well, I won’t deny that I was raised with the proverbial silver spoon in my mouth, but I never shied away from certain kinds of, ahem, _manual_ labour, especially when they were this pleasant…Besides, there was a period in my life when I was compelled to live in less than affluent circumstances…My father was, unfortunately, very liberal with the family fortune, and when he and my mother divorced the settlement left him pretty hard up. There was a sum set aside for my education at Eton and Oxford, but once I graduated I would have next to nothing in the way of income. Therefore, during my time as a student I made sure to pick up as many useful skills as possible. I hadn’t quite decided what I wanted to do with my life, so I thought I might as well be as prepared as I could.”

The Major shifted slightly and gave him a sidelong glance of disdain. “And after all that serious self-analysis you decided on becoming a thief, eh?” he remarked scornfully. “While I acknowledge that extreme poverty can drive people to a life of crime, Eroica, in your case I don’t think it’s enough of an excuse.”

The Earl arched his eyebrows. “Excuse? Oh, not at all, Major,” he said, somewhat surprised. “I did not choose this path to escape poverty. I daresay it was quite possible for me to make what you would call an ‘honest living’ had I chosen to. Do not forget that I am the scion of a very old and well-established noble family. I had, and still have, quite a few connections; with those and my education, I could easily have found decent employment. It wouldn’t have earned me enough to buy my castle back, but I’d certainly have enough to live in comfort. However, such a life would never fulfill me. I was not meant to follow the conventions of society, that I was sure of ever since I knew myself. Had I lived in the olden days, I would probably have snagged a piece of land and established my own kingdom, but alas, that would be impossible in those mundane times we live in. Besides, even as a child I had realized that not only was I exceptionally good at stealing, but it also gave me more sense of accomplishment than anything else I was good at – probably because it enabled me to acquire anything I ever wanted. It was my vocation, and a very profitable one to boot, and thus I saw no reason not to pursue it professionally as well. There was the small downside that it is frowned upon by the law, but I soon learned how to get around that.”

“I’m sure you did; it can’t have been very difficult without a conscience hampering you,” sneered the Major in the same contemptuous tone, but the Earl remained unfazed. “Oh, don’t give me that, Major,” he chided in turn. “You of all people are hardly in a position to lecture me about morals, you know. You may not break the law openly, but you’re cutting it as close as you possibly can. I would wager my entire collection that the reason you wound up an Intelligence agent was that it allows you to get away with things you’d never be able to get away with anywhere else.”

The Major could not help frowning a little; Eroica was often too shrewd for his own good. It was true that while aspiring to be a law-abiding citizen, Klaus had realized early on that he could never be your run-of-the-mill, ordinary working man. His calling in life was fighting battles, but unfortunately nowadays actual warfare was hard to come by. Two world wars had taught Germany the hard way to utilize more peaceful methods for strengthening its position as a nation, and being the staunch patriot he was the Major had never considered lending his fighting skills to anyone besides his own country. NATO Intelligence was the closest thing he could get in the way of battle; weapon usage was a tad limited for his preferences, but at least there were enemies to be outsmarted and, when luck came his way, beaten soundly on occasion.

“I’m not judging you for that, mind you,” added the Earl while continuing to massage his shoulders. “I’m sure you’re working for the greater good and all that. Besides, art mostly flourishes in times of peace rather than war. Without people like you protecting the peace there would be far less art created, and therefore fewer masterpieces for me to steal. Never let it be said that I’m ungrateful.”

“Any chance you could show your gratitude by staying out of my hair and letting me complete my missions in peace?” asked the Major, eyeing him askance again. “Sorry, Major, I don’t think I can do that…after all, if I didn’t interfere with your missions I would hardly ever see you,” Dorian said with another melodic laugh. “But at least you cannot deny that you’ve often made good use of my presence. If nothing else, you can always count on me giving you a helping hand…or two, like tonight.”

“Speaking of hands, how much longer are you planning on doing that?” Klaus said irritably. “I don’t want to waste my entire sleeping time on this foolishness. The clock is ticking.”

“Don’t make this a race against the clock, Major, or we’ll be right back to square one,” Dorian warned him gently. “I do understand relaxation is no easy feat for you, but try to see this as…treatment, yes, that’s it. When you were hospitalized you always obeyed your doctor to the letter, didn’t you? Well, I may not be a doctor, but you do have a certain…condition and I’m treating you for it. I do believe this way it will be easier for you to get in the right state of mind.”

Klaus was still doubtful, but this strategy seemed sound enough; either way, it would be worse if all this mortification would be to no avail. He closed his eyes and tried to envision this as a massage therapy session; it did help that Eroica was behaving for once and hadn’t allowed his hands to wander anywhere they shouldn’t. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed in this fashion, but after a while he realized, not without some surprise, that he did indeed feel more relaxed than usually. Normally he’d hate the feel of unfamiliar hands all over him, but for some unknown reason the thief’s hands felt kind of familiar…maybe Eroica had groped him one too many times, he thought with a sudden shiver; it was kind of frightening that he was actually getting used to being felt up by that pervert. Still, weirdly enough even this realization did not make him want to get the hell out of there; there was the mission to be considered for sure, but it wasn’t just that…he was actually feeling quite comfortable by now, in a way he had only experienced when he was very young, too young to remember. Only his mother had ever touched him with such caring hands, in the short time she had been with him before death claimed her. After her passing it was Herr Hinkel who had taken her place, but even though the good butler certainly cared about him, Klaus even as a baby knew it wasn’t the same; he appreciated Herr Hinkel’s kindness but it wasn’t what he really wanted and so he made everyone think he didn’t need any kindness at all. That’s why he never cried even when his diaper was wet, as the old butler often declared proudly without ever suspecting the real reason for this remarkable toughness. If he couldn’t have the real thing, he didn’t want anything.

But wasn’t it ridiculous to compare even for a second the touch of his mother to that of this infamous lecher? There wasn’t even a shred of similarity between them. Eroica wasn’t a family person, and certainly no family to _him_ ; and he was full of ulterior motives. He might shout from the rooftops that he loved Klaus till he was blue in the face, but it would never be an unconditional love like the one his mother harbored for him. Even if he had saved him and come to his aid on multiple occasions without asking for anything in return. Even if he’d drop everything, petty interests and conflicts included, when he knew that the Major needed him; and never seemed to expect even a single ‘thank you’ for his trouble. Even if without a second thought he would have mobsters tracking down terrorists just so they wouldn’t get to his arse first. Crazy, wasn’t it? Eroica was by far the most unpredictable and unmanageable adversary he ever had to contend with; but at the same time, the only one who could get as close as under the Major’s skin. Perhaps because, even though he’d never admit it, deep down Klaus knew he wasn’t really an adversary. For all his reckless antics, for all his enormous ego, on the whole Eroica was more of a partner than an enemy, especially during their latest years of running into one another. There were times when he pursued his own agenda too, but he knew very well what lines not to cross. And if Klaus really wanted to be honest with himself, if he could muster the courage to look deep inside his soul and face the secrets lurking there as directly as he faced his enemies in battle, he would have to acknowledge that it wasn’t Dorian himself he detested, but those things he represented. Cheer. Joy of life. Sexuality. All those things the Major had denied himself long ago; and understandably, he did not particularly enjoy having them flaunted before him so flagrantly. When immersed in a mission (without Eroica) or even while buried in paperwork or tinkering with household appliances, he could forget them; but whenever the bloody thief popped up in front of him he would be reminded of them again – and it was no surprise that remembering what he had forsaken would anger him. His own bad temper aside, it would grate on anyone’s nerves to be offered such a number of decadent indulgences on a regular basis, only to be forced to deny them time and again because his ways were set and he could no longer break the mold. Eroica, on the other hand, seemed dead set on making him break the mold; and every time he redoubled his efforts, the Major’s endurance seemed to wear thinner. At times, unexpected words or gestures would escape him, and the thief never missed a single one of them; and even though he retracted back into his shell almost immediately, Dorian was never discouraged. And now, finally the dreaded day had come. He could no longer retract into his shell. He had been compelled not only to engage in undoubtedly immoral activities with the thief, but to allow his deepest, untold desires to come to the surface; else, he would not be able to fulfill his mission. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. It was either the shame of not doing everything in his power to get his duty done or the shame of disregarding his self-imposed restraints – and he had chosen the latter. He had already made his choice when he knocked on Dorian’s door tonight, so was there really a point in procrastinating? He was aware right from the start of the great risk this choice carried – of how much more than the success of his mission might be at stake; he knew all too well that everything might be different, that _he_ might be different, that the man who would exit the Earl’s rooms might be no longer the same man who entered them. Come tomorrow, he might be a changed man to a degree he could not predict, he had known that since the beginning and he had chosen this course of action nonetheless. What alternative did he have now but to follow through with his decision?

His inner turmoil normally would not be evident to an outsider, but Eroica was of course much more perceptive, not to mention on the alert to notice every little change of the Major’s disposition. Admittedly, not even he could comprehend the full extent of Klaus’ thoughts, but he did realize he was more favourably disposed to his ‘treatment’ than before. Dorian could not tell as yet whether he was driven by duty alone or he had actually started enjoying it a little, but he decided to view this as a positive sign; and so, after a few more minutes of relaxing massage, he asked the Major to lie on his back and went down on him again. It was better this time; the Major seemed more…receptive of his attentions, he thought. His face was more relaxed, and sometimes a soft sigh of enjoyment, barely audible to anyone else, would even escape him. Still, he wasn’t quite there yet. He was more willing to taste the pleasure, that much Dorian could tell, but now it looked like he didn’t know how to do it. The inhibitions of a Catholic upbringing definitely weren’t to be taken lightly, he thought ruefully. Nevertheless, now that he had finally made some progress he certainly wasn’t going to quit midway. Fortunately, he had the good old human primal instincts on his side, which were deeper-rooted even than a convent’s teachings. It was time to up the stimulation.

Once again he removed his mouth from the Major’s lower half and said cheerfully, “Well, Major, this was much better. I do believe you’re almost there, but this drug is quite the potent concoction, I admit. Mortifying as it is, it would seem that even with my supreme technique oral stimulation is not quite enough to get you over the finish line. We need to take things a wee bit further…or, to use a term you’re familiar with, it’s time to pull out the big guns.”

Klaus did not object, since for several minutes now he had started to want this climax for a wholly different set of reasons than the fulfillment of his mission, but he did look at him inquisitively as Lord Gloria retrieved the small bottle he had set next to the bed and poured some more of its content into his hands. “I thought you said this was massage oil.”

“Oh, it can have a number of uses,” the Earl winked at him playfully as he smeared the clear liquid over his fingers. “But do not fret, my dear Major, everything else I told you still stands. I will be the only one on the receiving end…tonight.” He may or may not have put a little more emphasis on ‘tonight’, but for once the insinuation went completely over the Major’s head; the reason for this being that Dorian had straddled him, turned his back at him and bent over, giving him a first-class view of his behind, and then started fingering himself.

If he had been in his normal state of mind, this was probably when Klaus would punch the daylights out of Dorian and/or storm out, intent on getting as far away from him as possible. The thing was, right now he was very far from his normal state of mind. Not even he could explain why the sight of that shameless lecher loosening up his own hole wasn’t the repugnant, vomit-inducing spectacle it was supposed to be. Why wasn’t he grossed out, why didn’t he feel like throwing up, and, most importantly, why, drug or no drug, was his manhood not only standing proudly without even the slightest indication of wilting but even twitching in anticipation of what was to come? Klaus didn’t know, and likely didn’t want to know, the answer to any of these questions, but one thing he was sure of: from here on out, there was no going back. The change, that change he had dreaded so much, was already here and could no longer be undone.

However, he had precious little time to dwell on all that, because Dorian soon enough finished preparing himself and nimbly turned around to face him while at the same time lowering himself onto the Major’s rigid length, letting out an involuntary moan of delight as he did so. He didn’t seem to be in any pain, Klaus thought absentmindedly, even though he was doing something that by nature wasn’t meant to be done. How could sex with another man ever be enjoyable…? he wondered. Wasn’t it a deviance, a crime even not so long ago? Then again, Eroica was a criminal to begin with, his sexual proclivities didn’t make much difference on that count. But if it was indeed a crime, now the Major was guilty of it as well, for he could not deny that his body at least was finding this highly pleasurable, and positively superior to what sparse lukewarm encounters he’d had with red light district women – encounters prompted more by the prospect of experience gathering than an actual desire for sex. It might be because tonight he had forcibly pushed his inner barriers aside, but for the first time in his life he was feeling the way he ought to feel while having sex. He was still aware that he wasn’t supposed to be enjoying this, that his mission ought to be the first and foremost thing on his mind, but hard as it was to admit it, it wasn’t. Rather, it had receded to the very back because carnal pleasure had taken over everywhere else. There was certainly no room left for remorse or fear of the divine punishments the nuns had so emphatically impressed upon him in his youth; in any case, he had probably committed far worse sins in his life and might well be condemned already; and if he was, he might as well have a bit of a good time before the pits of hell. But at the end of the day, perhaps the only reason he was able to find pleasure in this experience in the first place was because it was _safe_ to do so. He knew he was safe here, he knew that even if he exposed his weaknesses he wouldn’t be taken advantage of. He had never admitted it to anyone, not even himself, but for a long time now he had known that he had one safe place in this world and it was Dorian. That certainty was what had enabled him to come thus far; without it, he would never manage to truly let go. For all his inhibitions and misgivings, he was confident that it was safe to indulge and feel and do all these things he had always wanted and always pushed away from himself. Now he knew that he could have them – and that he would finally take them.

Meanwhile, Dorian had quite forgotten his own mission, lost as he was in the delight of taking the Major all the way inside him. Good Lord, this was so much more magnificent than all of his fantasies put together. For all his optimism, he had never imagined that the frigid, uptight Iron Klaus would turn out to be such a volcanic partner in bed. Hurray for defective drugs! After the Major had those terrorists safely put away, he’d definitely have to find some way to send them flowers in prison, he thought hazily as his hips moved on their own, riding his beloved for all he was worth. In all his life he had never, never felt like this. This was more, so much more than having sex with a well-endowed and beautiful man; he’d had that before, but tonight…tonight was the fulfillment of all his dreams, and even of things he had never dared to dream of. For the Major wasn’t merely lying there and enduring it for the sake of his mission, oh no, not anymore. Dorian couldn’t quite tell when it started, but at some point he became aware that Klaus’ hips had started moving in tandem with his own, and words could not describe how exhilarated he was. It was nothing short of a miracle; the Major was actually participating, he was _thrusting_ into him! Perhaps he wasn’t conscious of what he was doing, but it didn’t matter. Dorian certainly wasn’t about to point it out to him, not while they were on the verge of what had to be the most mind-blowing climax in history. There would be plenty of time to strategize and think how to make sure there would be a repetition of this night after they were over the edge.

It happened sooner than either of them thought, the way a storm hits sooner and harder than expected. Then again, neither of them was in any state to keep track of things; they were both completely caught up in a whirlwind of passion as years’ worth of unfulfilled and repressed desires on both ends finally found their outlet and broke through with a vengeance, leaving reason and even consciousness utterly decimated. Without even realizing what he was doing Klaus had sat up and grabbed hold of Dorian’s hips in an iron grip, so hard that it bruised the flesh, and he was ramming him with brute force onto his hot shaft, every move sending jolts of unimaginable ecstasy through their bodies; the heat, the smell of sweat, the tightness around him, everything was assaulting his senses continuously and raising this craving he never knew he had until now to an entirely new level. Impulsively he leaned forward and bit Dorian’s nipple hard, making him arch his back and let out a loud cry of unbridled pleasure; the scorching hot passage clenched even more tightly around his member, spurring him to thrust even more intensely than before. He was close now, he could feel it, and so was Dorian; it was clear that the thief had abandoned all thought of strategy now and had completely surrendered to the passion. His hands were clutching at Klaus’ shoulders and his hips were going up and down at a furious pace, eagerly following the rhythm set by the Major, and with every move he contracted more forcefully, making the stimulation almost too much to bear. And the tempest was finally here, bursting forth with a force that shook them to the core; Dorian was over the edge first, shooting all over Klaus and clamping down on him so hard that the Major immediately followed suit, emptying all he had inside Dorian. The intensity of their climax was such that it drained them completely, and almost immediately they both faded out of consciousness.


	3. Dessert

It was five-thirty in the morning, not even daybreak yet. The lobby was only sparsely illuminated by dimmed overhead lights, and the sole sound that could be heard was the soft snoring of the night receptionist snoozing peacefully at his desk. Dorian took in the stillness and silence with a satisfied smile; from the looks of it, he had beaten the Major to the punch this time. Klaus and the alphabets hadn’t left the hotel yet; no matter how inconspicuous they tried to be, the departure of twenty-seven people would never pass unnoticed in a hotel, where special attention is always paid to departures and arrivals. It would be impossible for them to pass through the lobby without at least waking the receptionist; of course, there was the possibility that they would try to leave by the side entrance, but Dorian didn’t think that was very likely: they’d have to pass through the kitchens to get there, where they would be seen by a lot more of the staff than by passing through the deserted lobby. In any case, Bonham had already been dispatched to cover that entrance too, and Dorian was fully confident that despite his reluctance to get any more involved in Uncle NATO’s mission, he would carry out his assigned duty flawlessly. For all his benevolent looks, Bonham was a master thief who could even steal an aeroplane at a moment’s notice. When he wanted to, there was no one more unobtrusive than him.

He took a moment to study his reflection in a large mirror in heavy bronze frame hanging on the opposite wall and nodded to himself approvingly. Yes, the disguise was perfect – not even Bonham would know it was him. His skin had been rendered about three tones darker after meticulous makeup application, his eye colour had been altered to a dull grey by virtue of slightly tinted glasses and his hair was completely concealed under a wig of typical Italian hair – that is, jet-black, slightly wavy and styled with copious amounts of brillantine. Plus he was flawlessly clad in a made-to-order replica of the hotel’s valet uniform – he’d had one tailored ever since he checked in, expecting it to come in handy for the heist he was planning. His height he might be unable to disguise, but he wasn’t the only tall person in the world after all; and he knew from experience that uniformed employees tended to pass unnoticed even by the most careful scrutiny. All in all, Eroica had every confidence that even the Major’s sharp eyes would not recognize him, especially now when he was in such a hurry to resume his mission. He was positive that he’d be able to follow him without being detected.

What he wasn’t so certain of, was how things would pan out for the two of them from today on. Admittedly, last night’s events had turned their relationship – if that could be called a relationship until now – entirely on its head. Even though he hadn’t slept at all that night, Dorian had found it necessary to pinch himself several times during the past few hours, just to make sure he hadn’t dreamt the whole thing. It seemed so far removed from reality that the strait-laced and duty-bound Major would not only have sex with him but, not to put too fine a point on it, literally bang him out of his mind. More than that, although it had been Klaus’ first such experience, he had definitely not disappointed. It was magnificent, miraculous, glorious. The aftermath, however, wasn’t nearly as glorious: as soon as the Major regained his senses, he jumped out of bed, hastily threw his clothes back on and bolted out the door without so much as a ‘thank you ma’am’. Not quite the affectionate cuddling Dorian had envisioned as the finale of his first lovemaking with the man of his dreams; if anything, the furthest thing possible. And as expected, this rather anticlimactic ending of their tryst wasn’t exactly conducive towards easing his anxiety about the future. Dorian might be positive that Klaus had been genuinely aroused and willing during their encounter, but he was also keenly aware of how reticent and self-restrained he was. He could – and would – deprive himself of anything, no matter how pleasurable or desired, if he believed it was the ‘right’ thing to do. Much as Dorian hated to admit it, there was a very good chance that his formidable morals would make him choose the ‘forget it ever happened’ way. It was but the one time, after all, and he did have the convenient excuse that he did it for the mission. Moreover, the Major’s mind was disciplined enough to be able to repress a great many things, good and bad alike – therefore, it might not be impossible for him to bury even such an intense memory to the back of his mind and never allow it to resurface again.

Of course, Dorian would never allow him to forget just like that; he fully intended to keep reminding him of what had happened between them in every possible way, even at the risk of life and limb. But deep down, he feared that the chase would be a lot more difficult for him from here on out, now that he’d finally had a taste of the forbidden fruit. Had he been asked twenty-four hours ago, he would have said with confidence that even one night with his beloved would be enough to last him a lifetime; now, all he could think about was how to bring about a second night, and a third, and so on; and he very much doubted that his desire would ever be sated. He simply could not imagine a life where he would not be able to experience such bliss ever again; and, since by nature he wasn’t the kind of person to repress his feelings, even all his British aristocratic dignity might not be able to prevent him from acting overly clingy and needy with the Major – and if there was one thing the Major definitely despised, it was clingy and needy people. The way he treated G was ample proof of that. Dorian could understand that – he himself did not particularly care for James’ unrelenting clinginess, so he could sympathize; but this only made it clearer that he’d have to keep a much tighter control over his own emotions from now on if he didn’t want to start acting like James in front of the Major. Could he do it? All these years of one-sided pursuit reciprocated with naught but contempt and violence had taken their toll on him, and now this! To know that the Major did not in fact detest him or the idea of being intimate with him, but still he was forcing himself to act like he did! It was maddening, infuriating! A man like him, so direct and forthright, lying to himself and denying his own wishes! Dorian honestly didn’t know whether he would be able to keep playing it cool in front of Klaus, now that he finally knew that he wasn’t being pushed away because it was a matter of preferences – hurtful as it was for his pride, that he could live with – but because the Major could not be honest with himself. Naturally, he was willing to give Klaus some time to come to terms with what had happened last night and the inevitable realizations that would come with it; admittedly, it was quite a lot to take in on such short notice. But if the Major chose to stick to the road of denial in the end, Dorian didn’t believe he could dedicate just as many years to bring him round…he just didn’t have that much endurance left. Still, it was too early to tell what would become of them yet; for now, he’d better concentrate on not losing sight of the Major as he set off for his mission.

Right on cue, his ears caught multiple footfalls coming down the stairs – footfalls which were meant to be noiseless but made a rather poor job of it. Without a doubt, the Major and the alphabets. Dorian hastily turned away from the mirror and hurried towards a statue standing in an alcove directly across it; a life-sized bronze replica of Donatello’s _David,_ the hotel owner’s pride and joy. Dorian quickly whipped out a polishing cloth he had with him, bent over the statue to hide his face more effectively and started rubbing industriously the already lustrous bronze, the very picture of a hard-working employee cleaning up before the clients started coming in.

The footfalls could be heard more clearly now, and soon enough a large group of people made its appearance coming down the stairs and rudely interrupting the receptionist’s sleep. Dorian did not dare to look up from the statue, but he could catch glimpses of them reflected on the highly polished bronze surface; there was the Major at the head of the group, barking orders at agent A at his elbow, agent G right behind them checking his makeup on the wall mirror and arguing with agents B and Z admonishing him to get a move on before the Major noticed, and the rest of the alphabets trailing behind them and whispering among themselves, no doubt about the mission. With some apprehension, Dorian realized that, given the Major’s trajectory, he would pass him by very closely; he would have to be extra careful not to draw attention to himself while the Major walked past him. He bent even further down, pretending to be polishing the statue’s legs, and hoped that the Major would be too focused on his mission to notice him.

A few seemingly endless seconds followed, with Dorian waiting with bated breath as the group’s footsteps drew nearer and nearer; fortunately he didn’t hear any of them halting, so probably no one had paid attention to him…But just as he thought he had passed unnoticed, all of a sudden his whole body tensed and his eyes bulged in a way most unbefitting of an English lord. For as the group was marching by him, a hand had reached out and given his exposed butt a momentary but very firm squeeze. And – not just any hand either! Even if that same hand hadn’t left bruises on his body a few short hours ago, Dorian would never fail to recognize the Major’s grip; he’d been subjected to it far too many times in the past, although admittedly in far less affectionate ways. But if that was Klaus just now – then…then that meant – actually, _what_ did it mean?! Throwing caution to the wind, he raised his head and looked at the departing group, now almost at the entrance’s double doors. Even with the rest of the alphabets crowding behind him, the Major stood taller and more upright and so Dorian had a clear view of his head. And he saw – just in time, he caught Klaus stealing a glance out of the corner of his eye in his direction; their eyes only met for a split second and then the Major whisked sharply to face forward again and strode straight out of the doors. The rest of the alphabet, blissfully unaware of what had just transpired, hastened to follow.

As soon as the doors closed behind them Dorian sprang up and it was only the astonished gaping of the now fully awake receptionist that kept him from doing a victory dance right there. That, and the fact that there was not a second to waste; he had to change at lightning speed into an already prepared second disguise and run after his Major. But he was entirely justified in wanting to break into song and dance, wasn’t he? Because this time the Major had _invited_ him along! Not in words, perhaps, but what he had done, and that look he had given him…By the Major’s standards, that was a definite ‘come hither’; and so, thither he would go! New disguise equipped, and Dorian practically skipped out of the hotel, never so delighted to have been proven wrong in his entire life. He had hoped that last night would finally give him and his beloved Major their happy ending, and he had feared that it would mean a very unhappy ending for them; but he had been wrong on both counts. Nothing was going to end for them. Everything was just beginning. 


End file.
